Shaped by various waves of immigration and colonization over time, Reunion Island is home to a multicultural population. Reunionese Creole, the native language of 90 per cent of the islanders, primarily originates from French, but incorporates vocabulary from Malagasy, Portuguese, Hindi and Tamil. Speaking about the influence of this diverse environment in her music, Tef shares, “My journey started from singing in musicals in school. The music around me was a crossbreed of European, Indian and African styles. As I grew older, I realised I have inherited a profoundly rich heritage and as an artist I had the prerogative to take it to the world.”

Flo Vincenot

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The artiste tells us the audience can expect performances in Maloya, a native jazz style that has origins in the music of African slaves and Indian indentured workers on the island. Coloured in themes of revolt and rebellion, it will be paired with Sega, a musical style native to the neighbouring island of Mauritius. “While these styles have political undertones, they embody the experience and the joy of being Reunionese. We infuse these styles with jazz standards and traditional jazz instruments to create a distinctive experience,” Tef reveals.

Over a short chat with the musician, we learn that there’s more to her arrival in India than what meets the eye. “My maternal grandmother was born in Pondicherry!” she shares excitedly, adding, “It is fascinating to me that I will be navigating the same route my ancestors took while migrating to the island generations ago. As I prepare to perform in the beautiful city of Mumbai, I realise that this trip is much more than a musical tour for me. In a way, it’s me tracing my roots back to my origins while doing what I love the most, playing music.”

On: December 10; 6 pm 
At: Mumbai Jazz Festival, Phoenix Palladium, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
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Taking stage

>> Many Things, an Indo-Dutch trio from Chennai will perform a fusion of Indian classical music, jazz, funk, the blues and beyond. 

>> Mumbai-based vocalist and music instructor Shreya Bhattacharya (below) brings her jazz, RnB and neo soul-infused tunes to life on the stage with her jazz quartet.